EP Review: Yours Truly - Afterglow

Sometime after the release of their "Too Late For Apologies" EP, someone who knows my affection for these kinds of bands pointed me in the direction of Yours Truly. It didn't take more than a minute or two for me to realize they were exactly what I was looking for. They had the perfect blend of bright pop and crunchy rock, appealing to both sides of me at the same time. And given that the band I would most directly compare them to (whom any of you would only know through my constant invocation of their name) had seemingly broken up, Yours Truly was a godsend. The only problem? The EP clocked in at seventeen minutes, which left me wanting so much more.

And more is what we now get.

"Afterglow" is Yours Truly becoming even brighter, even catchier, even more irresistible. If you're like me, and you love pop music and rocking guitars, then the best pop album of our lifetime very well might be Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway". Despite her reality tv beginnings, that record is the epitome of rocking pop. Well, Yours Truly is carrying on in that spirit, and this EP is perhaps the closest thing to that classic as I've ever heard.

Things kick off with "Circles", with pulsing guitars that bounce with pop/punk energy. The tone and production is bright and shiny, but the guitars are rocking enough for the muted chords in the second verse to hit with power. Combine all of that with Mikaila's soaring vocals in the chorus, which sticks like velcro, and you get a winner of a song. And just to top it all off, the opening (and recurring) guitar lick is one of those motifs that is not only memorable, but helps the band stand out from all the others who rely strictly on ringing chords, and who let synths take the lead.

"I Can't Feel" comes next, and throws more of a dance feeling into the mix. The song practically begs you to bop your head along with it, and then the chorus comes along, which pulls from the mid-00s pop/punk scene. It's effervescent, and just brings a smile to my face. When Paramore went full-on pop with their least record, this is the sound they should have been aiming for. Yours Truly doesn't have to give up their rock cred, and they still write catchier songs.

"High Hopes" was released as a stand-alone single last year, and it hasn't lost any of its impact here. This song finds Yours Truly indulging their heavier side, with the guitars chunkier and less shimmering. This is the song I could most easily imagine circa-2005 Kelly Clarkson singing. It would have fit right in with "Since U Been Gone". It's just under four minutes of absolute perfection.

"Delusional Paradise" is a duet that reminds me quite a bit of "Cork Tree" era Fall Out Boy, but more emotional than snark-pop, especially with the acoustic guitars that poke through the mix here and there. It serves as the breather where a ballad would usually sit, but it doesn't go that far in softening the band's edges. Other than one needlessly crass line from Mikaila's partner, it's a lovely song that shows us how Yours Truly can do more resonant material as well as they can their ear-candy.

The title track finishes things off, with heavy chugging guitars through the verses, and a relentlessly sunny chorus that finishes the job of giving us a cavity from the sugary hooks they've been pouring into us. At this point, I can say that as good as the "Too Late For Apologies" EP was, "Afterglow" is a more interesting collection of songs. It balances pop and heaviness, fun and meaning, in a way that gives us a wonderful mix of everything Yours Truly is capable of.

What I can tell you is that in the world of bands that straddle the line between pop and rock, Yours Truly are currently the best of them all. Full stop. I adore "Afterglow", and in fact, the only complaint is that I love it so much I want another five songs to give me an even bigger dose of their addictive style.